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  • Impact of Discrimination on Visually Impaired Older Adults

    By Lynda Seminara
    Selected and Reviewed By: Neil M. Bressler, MD, and Deputy Editors
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    Journal Highlights

    JAMA Ophthalmology, July 2019

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    Jackson et al. reviewed data on per­ceived discrimination against visual impairment for thousands of older adults. They found that people with poor eyesight who perceived discrimi­nation were more likely to be depressed, lonely, and dissatisfied with life than were their counterparts who did not perceive discrimination. Not surpris­ingly, such discrimination appeared to correlate with poor well-being and reduced quality of life (QoL).

    For their study, the authors collected data on 7,677 people age 50 and older who participated in the English Longi­tudinal Study of Ageing. Experiences of perceived discrimination were reported for a one-year period. The authors assessed participants’ depressive symp­toms, life satisfaction, QoL, and loneli­ness. Eyesight, which was not previous­ly validated for study participants, was self-rated and was categorized as poor (fair, poor, or blind) or good (excellent, very good, or good). Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze differences in perceived discrimination between those who reported poor eyesight and those who reported good eyesight and to evaluate potential correlations between perceived discrimination and well-being for those with poor eyesight.

    Among the study participants (mean age, 66.71 years), those with poor eyesight were more likely to perceive discrimination (odds ratio, 1.41; p < .001 vs. those with good eyesight). Cross-sectionally, participants with poor eyesight who perceived discrimination were more likely to have symptoms of depression, to experience loneliness, to have poorer QoL, and to have reduced life satisfaction than were those who did not report discrimination. Per­ceived discrimination was linked to greater risk of depressive symptoms in participants who reported poor eye­sight at the six-year follow-up.

    Taking steps to address this discrimination may mitigate the risk of poor well-being in this population, the authors said. Moreover, asking visually impaired patients about their well-being during office visits may help identify those in greatest need of support. (Also see related commentary by Alan R. Morse, JD, PhD, in the same issue.)

    The original article can be found here.